Congress a spent force: Sukhbir

Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday said that the Congress was a spent force and it would be decimated in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing an election rally in favour of SAD candidate from Anadpur Sahib, Prem Singh Chandumajra, he said that the Congress had tried all its arsenal in the elections but it would prove futile.

"Congress claims to have fielded all its guns in the electoral battleground but all are rusted. They are not capable of firing any shots", he said while adding that the party would be "trampled to the ground".

"What happens to an army whose generals run away from the war? No Congress leader was willing to contest the elections, be it Amarinder or Ambika Soni. They were pushed in to the battlefield", he added.

Claiming that the SAD-BJP coalition has brought about unprecedented development in Punjab, he said: "With limited resources at our disposal, we have brought about a drastic change in Punjab. Imagine what will happen when the Centre opens its coffers for us".

Sukhbir said that the Congress had to shift its nominee Ravneet Singh Bittu from Anadpur Sahib as there was a huge public resentment against him and alleged that his replacement Ambika Soni would also not do anything for the constituency.

DEFENDS MAJITHIADefending revenue minister and his brother-in-law Bikram Singh Majithia, Sukhbir said, "Bikram has never said that he would 'break Captain Amarinder Singh's neck'. The Congress is in the habit of telling lies".

'BJP HAS NO ISSUES WITH SAD CAMPAIGNING FOR INLD'Later talking to media persons, the SAD president said that the BJP had no issues with the party campaigning for the INLD in Haryana. "SAD has had old ties with INLD and the BJP is aware of it. We have an understanding and there is no question of BJP getting upset with my campaigning for their opponents in the neighbouring state", he added.

'MODI HAS ALL THE QUALITIES NEEDED IN A PM NOMINEE'Sukhbir Badal said that BJP's Narendra Modi had all the qualities needed in a prime ministerial candidate. "Modi ji did a commendable job in Gujarat and he seeks to implement his development agenda in the rest of the country", claimed the deputy CM.

He said Punjab will benefit the most if Modi becomes the prime minister. "My father Parkash Singh Badal has brotherly relations with Modi Ji and the latter cannot refuse anything to him. So for the betterment of the state it is necessary to vote Modi Ji to power", he added.

Claiming that BJP's Amritsar nominee Arun Jaitley would emerge victorious, Badal said that Punjab would have an added advantage as Jaitley was going to become "a number 2 or 3 minister in the Modi cabinet".